Hijos de Gonzalez ~1890

Hijos de Gonzalez ~1890 - a truly impressive high-quality classical guitar from one of the most important and influential Spanish workshops of the turn of the century (19th/20th century).

The 19th century Madrid-based guitar maker Francisco Gonzalez was almost a contemporary of Antonio de Torres, but built in his own style. Gonzalez was highly regarded in his time - he won several prizes and medals at various exhibitions during his lifetime and was known to have been the teacher of Jose Ramirez I and his brother Manuel Ramirez.

Gonzalez's reputation in his day suggests that he must have been a prolific guitar maker, but as with Vicente Arias, very few of his instruments survive to this day. Francisco Gonzalez had three daughters. The eldest, Maria Barbara Concepcion, studied with him and became a guitar maker in Francisco Gonzalez's workshop. Later, when she married, her husband Enrique Romans Papell joined them and was also taught by Francisco Gonzalez. After Francisco Gonzalez's death in 1879, his work was continued by his daughter and son-in-law under the name ‘Hijos de Gonzalez‘.

This particular guitar is a beautiful example from this workshop, decorated with some exquisite inlays. It has a spruce top and rosewood sides and back. The scale length is 645 mm and the nut width is 50 mm. We love the large body of this guitar and the fine construction, which gives the sound a very noble character suitable for concerts.

Apart from some old and stable repairs, the instrument is in very good condition and very original. The playability is just right with 3.8 mm E and 3.2 mm e at the 12th fret. The bridge inlay even offers room for future adjustments.

This fine classical guitar is a true master guitar that was certainly built for a guitarist for professional use at the time.

The sound is clearly old world... It has a velvety texture, rich in concentrated overtones, but with great clarity at the core of each note. Due to its ultra-lightweight construction, tone production is immediate, with a huge amount of sound modulation and dynamic range. This guitar also has tremendous power, which immediately disproves any rumor that old guitars don't have much volume!

All in all, it is a wonderful instrument that was made with a high degree of skill and craftsmanship.

This is in every respect a rare, historically significant, well-preserved guitar from one of the most important and influential Spanish workshops of the turn of the century (19th/20th century), which sounds great in all respects and is excellent to play.

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